Broxbourne 5th XI Vs Potters Bar 2nd XI

Saturday 14th March 2010

Potters Bar played away to Broxbourne's 5th ladies team for a late push back and Bar although keen to get back to Potters Bar for the evening's charity social at the clubhouse, were far more distracted by the fact that this is the teams' penultimate match of the season. Bar still sitting on top know that if they win the last 2 remaining games, it is very probable that the team will finish at the top of the league table and guarantee promotion for next season.

Bar had two key players Kerry McCann and Liz Finding back on the helm and at the first push back the team felt confident yet quietly nervous. Bar dominated the game in the first half with drives up the flanks, constant hassling from full back Charlotte Sayers on Broxbourne's quickest player, and the numerous supply of passes into the D from the midfielders. However this came to no avail as Bar failed to convert any attempts in the attacking circle.

By the end of the first half there was no goal from either teams, with Broxboune playing a format with attacking inners and the spare player up front causing a real problem for Bar. Bar knew that a change of format would be the only way of breaking through Broxbourne's defence, so captain Esther Strous changed the set up to a 4-3-3 rather than the usual 1-3-3-3 Bar were more comfortable in playing.

At the start of the second half Bar made an awesome passing play down the right wing into the path of Sarah Withers who beat her player and sent a flying pass across the goal face, which then met Chris Field's stick, winning the first goal of the match.

Bar then seemed unsettled with the new set up and combined with a lack of concentration from Bar's defence, Broxbourne found a lucky way through and placed a week attempt through the legs of keeper Glenys Chiswell, making the score 1-1.

This had no reflection on the game itself, and Bar knew this and worked hard to play intelligent passes into the attacking 1/3 of the pitch. It wasn't long before Shelley Farmer drove the ball into the D and won a short corner. Captain Strous stepped up and took the strike which flew like a bullet into the bottom left corner of the goal.

At this moment in the game Bar was pouring with confidence and they seemed to have literally turned the tap on when Farmer picked off a running pass from Strous, who then drove the ball forward and sending a weighted pass into the sprinting legs of Withers, who looked up and sent the ball in front of goal where Liz Finding pounced and earned the 3rd goal.

McCann kept the pressure on and dribbled her way through 3 players in the centre on more than one occasion to earn short corners. These were not converted, but this didn't matter when Lotti Pickup found space at the top of the D and sent a corker through the air which flicked off a defenders stick then onto the lucky stick of Field, who then earned her 16th goal of the season and the 4th goal of the game.

Bar were ecstatic with this result and look forward to the final game on the 27th where they meet Broxbourne's 4th XI, and who are currently lying in 2nd position below Bar in the table.

Lady of the Match: Charlotte Sayers

Goal Scorers: Chris Field x 2, Liz Finding and Esther Strous

Team: Glenys Chiswell (GK), Esther Strous (Captain), Sarah Withers (Vice), Shelley Farmer, Chris Field, Katy Francis, Charlotte Sayers, Michelle Lewis, Charlotte Pickup, Kerry McCann, Liz Finding, Lorraine Gallagher, Gronia Morley, Laura Cullen